Like Williams Shakespeare said, “Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.” It is very important to note that self-doubt sabotages your growth as a developer. Programming is very complex and requires you to believe in yourself. The moment you believe in yourself, even the things that seem very challenging in programming becomes easy for you to tackle. It takes a person who has self-confidence to start up anything.When you live in self-doubt, it becomes difficult to achieve your goals and it saps your willpower to learn.
Why do you think most developers keep trying despite several failed attempts at solving a bug that has lasted for hours/days?
It is mostly because they believe they can provide a solution to that problem, therefore it becomes a driving force that keeps them going.
When I started learning how to code, CSS(Cascading Style Sheet) padding and margin were very challenging for me. Then I had a friend who will always draw little boxes as illustrations to help me grasp the concept better, yet it seemed very difficult at that time. Everyone who knew how to play around with margin and padding were superheroes to me. I always beat myself up for not knowing how to do most things then, but it didn’t stop me from believing that I was going to make a fine developer.
Think for a second, if I had dwelt on the fact that everyone around me was finding it so easy with their CSS, I would have given up on programming. For every time you are passing through a challenge, remember that the people you look up to have been at such points where they felt like giving up, but preserved till they made it to the point they are now. As every worthwhile achievement is a process, learn to give yourself time and room for positive growth.
Everyone grapples with self-doubt once in a while, even successful developers. A little self-doubt is not only normal, it is healthy if not allowed to linger. It prevents us from crossing the fine line between self-confidence and hubris.
I know there are moments when you feel you aren’t good enough. Those are moments of self-doubt, they sabotage your ability to live a happy and fulfilling life as a developer if allowed to linger. Allowing self-doubt to prevent you from grabbing opportunities that come your way is an act of self-sabotage.
This article will not only give you reasons as to why you should build your self-confidence but also show you how to constructively handle episodes of self-doubt.
How can you deal with self-doubt in a constructive way?
1. Stop making Excuses:
As Steven Pressfield says in Do The Work! Overcome Resistance And Get Out Of Your Own Way , "The enemy is our chattering brain, which, if we give it so much as a nanosecond, will start producing excuses, alibis, transparent self-justifications, and a million reasons why we can't/shouldn't/won't do what we know we need to do." Whenever you are faced with a challenge and the thought of quitting crosses your mind, have a rethink on why you want to quit. Be it your work/why you stopped learning/why you stopped building something/every opportunity you turned down. What were your reasons? Were they just mental barriers you erected because you were afraid to fail or afraid to take up more than you could handle and then you became adept at making lots of excuses.If this is the case, then you need to stop making excuses today. Make every day of your life count regardless of the challenges you are faced with. Do not dwell on your weakness, it will only give room for a thousand excuses as to why you cannot go beyond the current level you are as a developer.
2. Beware of your Close Circle:
Those we habitually spend time with can have a profound effect on us, whether we are aware of it or not. I figured most of the things I learnt/heard in my journey so far in programming were through conversations/chit-chat with friends and mentors. Aside from doing personal research, I’ve broadened my knowledge from hearing my friends at work share their experiences with a new library or framework, solution of just how they solved a problem. When you hang around people who are determined to be the best they can be, you will also be affected by their positivity. Who do you spend the most time with? What effect do they have on you? When you spend time with them, do you walk away feeling better about yourself or worse?
3. Raise your self-awareness:
It is very important for you to know the root cause of your self-doubt. If it is the lack of skills in an area, then make conscious effort to improve. Be consistent in what you do. Programming is like every other skill that requires consistency and dedication.
Take for instance, If you decide to start a workout routine, during the first few weeks or days, you will feel joint pains and a strong urge to quit but if you persist, with time all of that goes away and it slowly becomes a lifestyle. Few months ago, I thought of how I could top up my productivity with work and I took time out to analyse the days I had a very productive day and the days my productivity was low. During this period of self-awareness, I came to realize I was very productive working at night. So I immediately switched my time table and got enough rest during the day while I work at night. So far this has solved my low productivity problem. Understanding yourself and what works for you can never be over emphasized. It is very crucial.
4. Celebrate your wins:
This happens to be my favorite part. Keep track of your small wins and celebrate yourself. My colleague at work will always scream “I can write code! I can write code!!” whenever his code runs successfully. One who does not understand how important it is to celebrate himself/herself will mistake it for pride. Truly, the mind works based on what we feed it with, be careful of the thoughts you nurture. When you speak positively, your mind is already triggered to help you achieve it. Whenever you get stuck with a problem and self-doubt creeps in, remind yourself of how you solved the last problem you had. If you could solve your last problem, then you can solve this present one.
5. Stop Seeking for Validation:
Seeking others' input and advice is helpful, of course no man is an island. However, if you are in the habit of continuously asking others what they think before making decisions on important matters, you might be weakening your faith in yourself. You will ruin your confidence in yourself if the people you seek validation from happen to be toxic and always ready to condemn your effort. This is why it is very essential to take responsibility for your growth.
6. Start Shipping:
Stop stalling and go make something happen. If you are a developer who has been hiding in the shell of self-doubt, this message is for you. Take that app you are building to the next level! Put those ideas into action!! Put that article out to the world. You can do just anything you set your heart to.
Cheers to a more self-confident journey ahead for you!
Nkechi Emmanuel